I Know
by McDiggin'It
Summary: He'll keep asking. She'll keep saying no. He knows that it's only a matter of time before she finally gives in.
1. Chapter 1

Title: I Know

Summary: He keeps asking. She keeps saying no. In some twisted way, they both know what will happen.

Author's Note: I'm sorry. I know I'm supposed to finish up my other Barty/Hermione fic, but this plot wouldn't leave me the hell alone! It was invading my mind, and I wanted to write it. So I did. I just thought it'd be super cute and kind of fluffy. This will be my second Barty/Hermione story. Hope you'll all enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. Anyway, thanks for reading, and please review. Remember, the more feedback I get, the more motivated I am to write, and the speedier the updates are. But enough about me. Let's get to the story, shall we?

-McDiggin'It

* * *

…

_An end cannot be predicted if there is no beginning._

Their beginning is like no other. They did not meet (again) in a coffee shop, or in some clichéd moment of romance where the male accidentally bumps into the female counterpart, turns and apologizes and notices the way her eyes reminds him of sunshine's and meadows. No.

When Barty Crouch Jr meets her again, it was on the very day he was headed to the Ministry of Magic for his final test, which would determine his fate. His future. He had passed all the previous tests and evaluations. His final assessment would be a rather tedious interrogation that would be prepared by the Ministry's most dependable Aurors. One of them happens to be Harry Potter himself. Barty wasn't too sure if the odds would be in his favor. But one thing is clear to him. Today is the day he would finally begin to build the life he had always dreamed of.

It was an ordinary day like any other. He was running towards the muggle phone booth that every Wizard and Witch knows is a concealed Ministry entrance. He was right at the door when something, or rather, someone crashed into him, sending him soaring through the door and crashing against the glass wall of the phone booth.

"Oh my goodness!" he heard a feminine voice exclaim behind him before he felt a pair of hands trying to help him away from the glass wall. "I'm so sorr—," she cuts herself off then. When he looks at her face, she's staring wide-eyed at him like she's looking at a ghost. In a way, she_ is_.

"Granger." He says roughly, jarring her out of her shocked state.

"You're dead."

He raises an amused eyebrow at her. "I think we can both see that I'm_ not_."

She shakes her head as if she's trying to rid her eyes of the sight before her. No such luck. "You—You're _supposed_ to be dead." She rephrases.

He chuckles. "Yet, I'm alive."

He really didn't see it coming until it happened. One second, he's chuckling as he stares at his 'former student' with an amused expression planted firmly on his face, and the next second, he's sailing through the air, together with the broken pieces of glass from the phone booth. When he hits the ground, his breath is knocked out of him. He doesn't even have time to breathe in before he sees Hermione raising her wand and aiming it at him. He rolls out of the way just in time for another one of her hexes to whiz past his head.

"_HOW DARE YOU_?!" Hermione exclaims, her eyes wild, her nose flaring, her hair flailing behind her, and her wand-arm prepared to flick another hex at him.

"Are you _out_ of your bloody mind, woman?!" Barty bellows at her as he scrambles to his feet.

"You're a Death Eater!" Hermione screams in fury.

"_WAS_ a Death Eater!" Barty screams back at her, ignoring all the eyes that are staring at the both of them as they yell at each other. "_WAS_!" he emphasizes quickly when she raises her wand again. "You're lucky I haven't gotten my wand yet, otherwise, you'd be running for your life."

"Lucky me." Hermione shoots back sarcastically with a roll of her eyes. "What are you doing back? You're supposed to be dead… or _no better_ than."

He quirks an eyebrow at her as he dusts his clothe off. "I take it that you haven't read the Daily Prophet then." He sighs.

Hermione gives him a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I'm _not_ dead."

She seems to be at a loss for words for a moment, before her eyes begin to clear of the confused look. "But you're _supposed_ to be dead."

He sighs heavily as he straightens his clothe and walks back towards the phone booth. "I know."

"You _know_?!" Hermione shrieks. "You're _supposed_ to be rotting away in a cell in Azkaban, getting what you deserve!"

He turns back, looking intensely at her. "I know." He repeats. Without another word, he disappears down the entrance of the Ministry, leaving Hermione to continue to stare at the spot where he'd just been standing.

His mind won't leave the memory of her face for the whole day. And every day afterwards.

...

* * *

…

The first time he asks her, is just a week after the phone booth incident. And unlike that first day, this day was _not _an ordinary day, for this day, is her birthday.

She's the best friend of the most famous man in the Wizarding world, so he'd have thought that she'd be going all out and having a Grand Birthday party, but apparently, she's not one of those people who leech off of their rich and famous friends.

He smiles when he sees her at the 'Ole Irish Pub not far from the Crouch manor. He was a regular here since before he became Voldemort's puppet, and he had surely missed this place. Barty's eyes follow her every movement. She's with Potter and about four different Weasley's, Lovegood's daughter, Finnigan, Thomas, and… Longbottom. Suddenly, he's craving for something a little stronger than the glass of rum in his hand, and so he pulls his eyes away from where she's crowded by her friends and waves the bartender over. "Jameson."

"A bit early for that, don't you think?" the bartender asks. The man is probably a hundred and five, and Barty almost yelled at the man to just give him his damned drink if it weren't for that fact.

"It's four in the afternoon." He replies instead. "A man can have whatever he wants at whatever hour he wants it, don't you think?"

The bartender shrugs and turns to fix Barty his drink.

As soon as the glass hits the counter, Barty's fingers wrap around the cool glass, raising it to his lips and knocking it back in one gulp. The liquid burns as it slides down his throat, but the burn is quite welcome. _Very_ welcome.

"A round of shots, Graham." A familiar feminine voice orders from beside him, and he can't help but grin. He turns his head, seeing her up close for the first time since she arrived. Her face is practically glowing, her hair falls around her shoulders in an elegant flow of coppery waves and tendrils, her lips are curved into a smile that can only be described as… perfect. And then she notices him staring directly at her. "What?" she snaps at him, drawing him out of his daze.

His eyes quickly connect with hers before he begins to smile again. "Has anyone ever told you that you have perfect lips?"

She blinks at him like he's just sprouted three heads and asked her to strip down to the nude and do the hula in her birthday suit. "What?"

He chuckles softly. "Your lips." he nods at her. "They're perfect."

She has absolutely no idea what to say to him, so she just stands there, staring at him like he's crazy. And maybe he is… or _still_ is.

"Would you have breakfast or lunch with me sometime?"

"Are you_ mad_?" Hermione asks incredulously. "I would rather die after swallowing a bag of needles than have_ anything_ with you."

He blinks at her disbelievingly. "Well that's a little harsh, don't you think?"

"I think you're completely insane… and if you're not, then I'd say you're just stupid enough to think that I'd ever want to have anything to do with you."

"And if I _am_?"

Her expression is that of confusion. "Am what?"

"A little insane." He shrugs. "Would you go out with me then?"

"NO!"

"Then I'm not insane."

"I'd have to beg to differ."

"You don't have to." He counters. "I'll be whatever you want me to be. Just go out with me once."

She stares at him for a very long moment, trying to figure out how he can ever think that she would willingly have breakfast, lunch, or anything with him. Her thoughts are put on hold when the bartender sets down a tray of shots on the counter, right beside him.

"You're mental." She tells him as she grabs her tray of shots and immediately hurries away.

"I know." He mutters to himself.

...

* * *

…

It's been three weeks since the first time he's asked her, and one week since the last time. Everything was falling into place for him. He was slowly being accepted back into the Wizarding world, and life was going great for him. Except for just _one_ thing.

He's grinning like a lunatic as he stares at her, scribbling down something on a piece of parchment. He's being blatantly obvious. If there was one thing he learned from his years of insanity, is that hiding his emotions and feelings usually ends with loneliness. And he's done being alone. So he had made his decision after that first time he asked Hermione out for breakfast or lunch. He was going to do anything and everything to get her attention. And come hell or high water, he was going to win her heart.

"What are you staring at?" Hermione's snappish tone slices through his thoughts.

He shakes his head, lips still curved into a large smile. "You."

Hermione shakes her head, letting out a heavy sigh. "If you're going to ask me out again, my answer will still be the same." She's too exhausted to even be mad at him today, so she just sticks to nonchalance and going straight to the point.

Barty nods. "I know… But just so you know, I'm going to keep asking."

"And I'll keep declining." Hermione shrugs.

He's silent for a long moment. She looks up at him from the letter of approval that she's writing for Luna Lovegood, who for some unknown reason is friends with Barty. Had it been any other one of her friends, Hermione would confront them about their purpose in befriending someone like Barty Crouch Jr. But it was Luna. No one would question why she does the things she does, because there's never a clear answer.

But she _can _question Barty. "Did you put a spell on her?" Hermione queries seriously.

He gives her a confused look. "Who?"

"Luna."

"Why in the world would I do something like that?" He asks incredulously, causing Hermione to roll her eyes at his tone.

"Oh," she begins sarcastically. "I don't know. Perhaps because you're a Death Eater!" she snaps at him.

It's his turn to roll his eyes, and he does. "First of all, I'm not a Death Eater anymore. Voldemort's been dead for a while now, so can we please move on from that? And second, Luna Lovegood is my friend. She's a brilliant girl with an open mind, and a kind heart. Unlike you, she hadn't judged me for my past, or treated me badly even though I know I deserve it. And last, I won't hex the only person who has befriended me."

Hermione is silent for a long moment, simply staring at him. Her expression remains blank, and her eyes remain glued to his intense stare. Finally, she blinks, looking away towards the parchment in front of her. She picks up her quill, scribbling down a few more words before folding it up and handing it over to Barty. "If you'd kindly ask Luna to send someone who actually works with her to retrieve her letters other than sending random people, I'd appreciate it."

Barty chuckles softly under his breath as he shakes his head at her. "In other words, you hate my guts, and you'd prefer to see Draco Malfoy over me because the blonde ferret had at least had the decency to be terrified of murder."

Hermione furrows her eyebrows at him as a hard frown settles on her face. "How did you—,"

"He's Lucius's son. All Malfoy's are cowards and crooks. Add that to the fact that I noticed in your fourth year how much he loved to pick on you, I'd say he's your least favorite person… next to me, of course."

"You're worse." She tells him honestly.

He looks down at his feet then, feeling the bile rise up in his throat. "I know." He mutters. Without another word, he turns and walks away.

...

* * *

…

"You're a lot dumber than you look."

She was there with her co-workers for a strategy meeting over a drink at a local pub in Hogsmeade, and he just "happened" to be there, sitting right beside her at the counter. Hermione would've left, if it hadn't been for the importance of the meeting that she was_ supposed_ to be having with her co-workers, who had mysteriously disappeared a couple of minutes ago.

Barty snorts loudly as he quirks an eyebrow at the brown-haired beauty before him. "Dumb people must be extremely good-looking then, don't you agree?"

"No, I don't agree."

Barty smirks, making Hermione roll her eyes at him. A glint of seriousness flashes in his eyes as he squints at her. "You're right."

"Really?" she asks sarcastically.

He nods, scooting forward so that their elbows are touching. "Surely a beautiful person like you can't be dumb." She scoots away and he chuckles under his breath. "Go out with me."

To be honest, she's not sure why he even bothers to keep asking. He's already asked her four times (not that she's counting or anything). She's already told him her answer, and that it would always be the same. Apparently, he doesn't care. She's convinced herself that she doesn't care either, but… sometimes, she's not sure.

"Just one day." Barty says hopefully.

Hermione sighs heavily, shaking her head at him. "Not a chance."

"Why not?" he asks perplexedly.

"You _know _why." She replies.

It's his turn to sigh as he leans forward on his elbows and gives her those stupidly intense looks that he always gives her, thinking that it'd change her mind about him. "I'm a changed person, Hermione. You _know _that."

"It's more complicated than that."

"How?"

"It just is." She gives him a pitiful look, knowing that he hates it when she does it. "We would never work out anyway." She finalizes.

He nods because he knows she's right. "I know."

"I have to go." With a nod, she turns on her heels and marches out of the bar.

He stares after her until she's completely out of his sight. Sighing heavily, Barty throws a wad of cash on the bar counter and heads outside. The moment he's out the door, he apparates straight to the Crouch manor, where he goes about doing what he does every night. He knows that he's risking a lot. But he really believes that it'll be worth it in the end. Because _she's_ worth it.

...

* * *

…

He's become a regular at her office. He tells her that freeing Winky was something he wanted to do, but… it wasn't. Not really.

She works at the Department of Magical Creatures, and she's Head of the board of S.P.E.W. (Call him a stalker, but he knows a lot about her). So after doing a bit of research on her, he finally found a way to see her every day without getting kicked out of her office. Seeing that she's in charge of SPEW, (She hates it when he calls it spew. He doesn't get why he should spell out the name of her cause when he could just shorten it to one syllable.) he risked having to do his own laundry, wash his own dishes, make his own food, and make his own bed among other things, and decided to free the Crouch's family house elf, Winky. He wasn't ecstatic about letting his house elf go, but he supposes that it couldn't hurt. Plus, he's doing something good for a change. At least, he thought it was good until Winky started beating her head against the marble floors of the Crouch manor, threatening to split her skull open the moment he presented her with one of his socks.

He had gone to the Department of Magical Creatures, asking for their help in controlling his house elf. And so the rehabilitation process for Winky began. All owners of house elves must be present at meetings, appointments, and daily trainings on how to free your elf properly. It was exhausting to say the least, but at the end of the day when the owners of the elves have to individually see the head of the S.P.E.W Program, it's worth it. He'd sit through a five-hour convention on the why's, how's, and reasons why house elves should be free, stand in a quarter mile line for three hours, attend an hour long class on how to deal with a self-harming house elf, just so he can sit in the same room with Hermione for five short minutes.

On their final individual meeting, Hermione was required to ask about his previous life _with_ a house elf, and his life _without_ one _now_. However, their conversation goes a bit off topic when he decided that it was a good idea to ask again. "Are you busy tonight?"

"Yes." Hermione replies almost immediately.

"No you're not."

She sighs heavily, shaking her head as she scribbles down a few notes on her notepad. "Why did you ask if you knew?"

"I was hoping you'd answer truthfully and give me a chance."

She shakes her head again, "Nope. Not happening."

"Go out with me." Barty grins, completely ignoring her rejection.

She rolls her eyes at him. "God, do you ever give up?"

"Once or twice, but for this?" he shakes his head. "No. Not now, not ever."

She blinks at him, wondering if he's serious and whether he's really oblivious to what she says to him. "You know, sometime I want to strangle you." She tells him honestly.

He chuckles, "Go out with me and I'll let you."

She barks out a laugh at that. "Not happening, Crouch."

He winces at the name. She knows he hates it when she calls him that, and so she deliberately calls him that just to annoy him. It's the best she can do to repay him for annoying the living hell out of her.

"Just one date." Barty begins again. "If you still hate me by the end of it, I'll back off and you'll never have to see me again."

"Hmmm…" she pretends to think about it, intentionally giving him hope so she can crush them to the ground. "No."

Barty groans, leaning back in his seat and staring at her. "Really?"

Hermione sighs, leaning back also and staring intently at him. "I don't get you." She shakes her head. "Why do you try so hard?"

His fingers twitch as he raises them to his hair, running each one through the thin brown strands. "I've never tried so hard for anything in my life before."

"That's total bull." Hermione says snappishly. "You tried to kill Harry. You tried to bring back a madman who doesn't even care about you—,"

"Wrong." Barty interrupts. "Why do you care about Harry Potter?" he asks with a determined look.

Hermione blinks at him. "Because he's my friend."

"And why do you consider him your friend?"

Her eyebrows furrow at the man across from her. "Because he cared about me when no one else did." She shakes her head in confusion. "Where are you going with this?"

Barty leans forward a little, giving her that intense look he always gives her. "Believe it or not, the first person to ever care about me and notice me was Tom. Voldemort was once a caring Wizard, and once upon a time, my _only _friend. I did everything for him because believe it or not, he had once done everything for me. I owed him my life."

"He was a murderer!" Hermione whispers furiously. "A madman who wanted too much power!"

"He was also a madman who held a wand to my mother's throat and forced me to join his forces when I refused to join him _before_." Gone was the cheerful look that was in his eyes just a few minutes before, and was replaced by a dark look that Hermione had always associated with him in the past.

She stares at him. "What?"

"He held my mother at wand-point and made me promise to join him."

Hermione rolls her eyes at that. "So it's okay for you to murder innocent people, but it's beyond you to break a stupid promise you were forced to make?"

"Not a promise." Barty shakes his head. "An unbreakable vow."

Hermione swallows hard.

"Why do you think my mother chose to spend her last few days of life in a prison cell so I could be free?"

Hermione shakes her head, slowly understanding what he's saying, but not knowing what to say in reply.

"She blamed herself for everything I had to endure as a death eater. For all the lives I was forced to take. All the people I had to torture information out of. All the years I spent in Azkaban… A part of me wanted to blame her, but I knew it was my fault too for taking the vow instead of just letting her die. I chose my mother over thousands of other lives. I chose the woman who gave me life over the Longbottom's… The Robins, the Ravenwoods, the Jacksons, the Holsters, the Garrison's… and hundreds of other families I was forced to murder. I remember each of their faces. Their names. The looks in their eyes before I used the killing curse on them. They're in my nightmares every night, still haunting me to this day." Barty blinks back the glassy look in his eyes and finally raises his head. "Does that make me a bad person?" he doesn't wait for an answer as he gets up out of his seat and heads for the door.

She answers before he gets to the door. "It makes you human."

He stops, turning his head to look at her over his shoulder. He offers the tiniest smile. "I tell myself that every time I think of them." He shakes his head. "I never believe it."

She doesn't know what possessed her to ask him, but she does. "Are you going to keep asking?" He raises a questioning eyebrow at her. She wants to groan out loud and bang her head on her desk for asking if he'd keep asking, but refrains. She shrugs at him. "So I can build my defenses for next time."

He grins widely at that, the cheerful look returning in full force. "The fact that you have to have a defense implies that you're affected by me."

She laughs, shaking her head at him to cover the tiny pink blush rising up her cheeks. "Not in the slightest. You're still my least favorite person."

He chuckles as he twists the doorknob and pulls the door open. "I know." He turns one last time, winking at her before leaving.

She's about to head home for work when a snow owl that reminds her of Hedwig sweeps through her open window and drops a piece of paper right in front of her before taking off again. She furrows her eyebrows as the owl continues out in the sky until it's out of sight.

_Next week. One O'clock. 'Ole Irish Pub. It's a date. _

_-Barty_

She tries to hide her smile, but realizes a moment later that no one is watching her. "You're never giving up, are you?" She grins, shaking her head as she tucks the note into the pocket of her coat and finally heads home.

* * *

… To Be Continued…

* * *

...

Author's Note: I had originally thought this story would be a one-shot, but it turned out a lot longer than I thought. So it might be a three-shot, including a short epilogue and a few other things I want to mention in this fic. I really hope this fic was entertaining for all of you. And if it was, leave a review, aye? I'll be updating soon.

-McDiggin'It


	2. Chapter 2

Title: I Know

Author's Note: Hello all! There's not much to say. I hope you like this chapter! Enjoy, and please leave a REVIEW!

-McDiggin'It

* * *

Chapter Two:

* * *

…

_A lie can easily be sold to another without their knowledge. The only one who knows the truth and can never buy the lie, is yourself._

* * *

_..._

"You stood me up."

She looks up from her work, startled by his voice. "How'd you get into my office?" she shakes her head immediately, "How'd you even get past the front desk?"

He rolls his eyes as he approaches her desk. "I hexed the receptionist. Now answer my question."

She blinks at him, not sure whether he was joking about hexing the receptionist. "You didn't really hex her, did you?"

"Of course not." Barty replies a bit defensively. "Do you believe everything I say?"

She scoffs, but inwardly sighs in relief. "I don't believe a word that comes out of your mouth." She tells him. She's lying of course. She did, after all, believe what he told her about his past and why he became a death eater. She's become familiar with his new behavior and personality, and she could easily tell when he's lying. As a matter of fact, she can't remember if he had ever said anything serious that sounded like a lie.

He ignores her statement. "Why didn't you show up?"

Hermione bites her lip as she stares down at the piece of parchment on her desk. "I never agreed to meet you there." She points out.

Barty sighs heavily as he takes a seat in front of her desk and stares at her. "Do you know how long I sat there waiting for you?"

"Until the pub closed, I suppose?"

He rolls his eyes impatiently, "The pub is a 24-hour operating business."

She finally looks at him with furrowed brows. "Oh. That means…"

"I just came back from the pub… Graham kicked me out this morning."

She blinks at him, "You waited all night?" she asks incredulously. "Why would you wait there for someone who's told you she would never go out with you?"

Barty's jaw clenches as he rises from his seat. "I waited all night because I kept thinking you'd show up after I left."

"Are you somehow deaf?" Hermione asks in bewilderment. "I specifically told you that my answer would be the same. Nothing has changed since the last time I told you that."

Barty rolls his eyes at her. "Luna told me that you might come."

"Luna?" she asks incredulously. "Luna speaks to invisible creatures that no one has ever even heard of! Why would you believe her?"

"Because she's the only one who really talks to me!" Barty snaps.

"Well then why don't you ask _her _out?" Hermione snaps back. "Do us both a favor and stop what you're doing, Barty."

"I already told you I won't stop asking. I'm not changing my mind."

"Well neither am I." Hermione tells him sharply. "I'll probably _never _say yes."

Barty shakes his head at her, his eyes piercing into hers. "A lot can happen between now and never."

She's suddenly really angry at him. Half because he has no right to show up at her office and make her feel like crap for not showing up to their supposed 'date' last night, and half because he's doing that _stupid_ intense-staring thing again that isn't really stupid because it makes her notice the color of his eyes. '_Goddamnit!' _she inwardly screams. "You're really stupid if you think I'd ever say yes to you." She snaps harshly. Her jaw clenches tightly as she forces herself to stare back at him. _'Damn him and his goddamned eyes!'_

His eyebrows crease together as he stares back at her. "Then I guess I'm stupid."

"What?" she asks, surprised.

"I'll be stupid until you say yes."

She loses the staring contest, tearing her eyes away and staring back down at the parchment on her desk. "I have work to do."

He nods, backing away from her desk. "I'll ask you again tomorrow." He tells her.

She rolls her eyes at him as a tiny smirk forms on her face. "I'll say no again tomorrow."

He nods. "I know."

...

* * *

…

"Do you love her?"

It's a fair question, he supposes. After all, nearly everyone in the Ministry knows about his undying infatuation with Hermione. He shrugs his shoulder as he stares down at his shoes. "I don't know."

"What do you feel for her?" Luna asks simply.

He shakes his head. She makes it sound so simple. It's not simple at all to try and figure out what he's feeling. He thought it'd be easy, but it isn't. "I don't know."

"Do you think your feelings are unreciprocated?"

He looks at her then. "I'm not sure… sometimes it feels one-sided. But I always have this little bubble of hope rising inside me, you know?"

Luna nods, smiling at her friend. "Yes. I believe those are the Klippies. Perhaps you've swallowed a few."

He chuckles lightly, remembering what Hermione had said about Luna speaking about things that no one has ever even heard of. In another life, he probably would've fallen for someone like Luna… but in this life, he's afraid he's already fallen for someone else. He wishes he could turn back time and stop himself from going after her before it became too late, but he can't. What's done is done, and there's nothing to do but move forward. "Do you think…" he trails off, not sure if he'd want to hear Luna's answer to his incomplete question.

"Do I think what?" Luna asks curiously, leaning forward and propping her chin up on the heels of her hands with a meditative look on her face.

Barty smiles at her, briefly wondering how she can manage to look so… carefree. He shrugs again. "Do you think she could ever want me?"

Upon hearing the question, the blonde lets out a jovial laugh as she nods. "I think she already does… she just won't admit it."

Barty's eyebrows shoot up his forehead as he sits up straighter. "Really?"

The blonde nods again as her laughter dies down to a warm smile. "Yes. I think she really likes you. Otherwise, why would she continue to hold a conversation with you for more than she has to when she could just ignore you and walk away?"

Barty gives her a hesitant look. "She could be pitying me, you know?"

At that, Luna smiles widely. "She could… but who's to say she doesn't just_ like_ you?"

He's suddenly smiling too. "You're right." He gets up out of his seat, and Luna chuckles as he leans forward and pulls her into a fierce hug. "Has anyone ever told you that you're a wonderful person?"

"No."

He tenses up at that, pulling back and giving her a skeptical look. "What?"

She shrugs, "I've been told that I was an amazing person, a good person, a marvelous human being, and a really great friend… you're the first to call me a wonderful person."

He really wants to laugh, but instead he just settles for a wide, lopsided grin. "You're all of those, and so much more, Luna Lovegood."

She chuckles, playfully pushing him away. "I know." She playfully pushes him away. "Now go to her."

He wastes no more time in doing as she says.

...

* * *

…

"What do you want?"

"You."

"You can't have me."

"Because you won't let me." He counters.

"And I never _will_."

He shrugs, his smile still wide, showing off his dimples and dazzling white teeth. "I can wait."

She rolls her eyes, letting out a long sigh. "It's four in the afternoon. Don't you have anything better to do?"

"I do, but it can wait." He replies cheekily.

"You're really starting to annoy me." She tells him as she leans against the counter.

"I thought I already do."

"You do." She nods, pausing to jot down a few notes on her notepad. "You _really_ do."

"Glad to be of service." He makes an exaggerated bow, smiling as he does so.

She shakes her head at him. "You're worse than Ron."

He frowns at her. "The Weasley boy?"

"Yes. He annoys me a lot, but you're _much_ worse."

He scoffs at her, "I'm nothing like your ginger friend. I'm much better looking, wouldn't you agree?"

"You really _are _delusional."

"You don't really believe that, do you?"

"I actually really do." She shoots back.

He smirks, "It's no matter. I know you'll eventually come to me."

"Yeah, good luck with that." She snorts, shaking her head as she goes back to staring at her work.

He continues to sit there, staring at her the entire time without saying a word. It was highly annoying. "You really need to loosen up a bit."

She sighs heavily, looking up to glare at him. "And you need to control every word that comes out of your mouth."

"Why? Because you secretly want to snog the living daylights out of me every time I speak, but you're too stubborn to do it?"

She meant to scoff, but just ended up spluttering. "That's the most insane thing I've ever heard."

He laughs. "Get used to it."

"Right. 'Cause you're bloody insane."

"Cause I don't mind saying insane nonsense for you."

Her face warms just the tiniest bit as she stares at him for a long moment. "Why for me?"

Barty scoffs, rolling his eyes at her. "Were you deaf all those times I asked you to go out with me?"

She quickly slides back behind her façade, clenching her teeth as she examines him with suspicious eyes. "No, I believe I was mostly annoyed."

He shrugs. "Go out with me."

She shakes her head at him. "May I ask you something?"

"Since when did you need permission to ask me something?"

She gives him a disdainful look. "Why are you suddenly so interested in me?"

Barty's mind stalls for a minute. He takes a deep breath, followed by another. Answering her questions is a small price to pay to be able to sit in the same room with her, he supposes. "Do you remember when I first asked you to have breakfast or lunch with me?"

She instantly recalls her birthday just a few months ago. She had been there only because Harry, Ron, Ginny, the twins, and every one of her best friends had practically dragged her there. She had been a bit annoyed at them for taking her out of her working-mindset, but she had to admit that she felt extremely relieved when she got there, the feeling of being around her friends shooing away some of the stress and pressure she's been feeling at work.

And then she'd walked up to the bar to order the first round of shots for her friends, only to see someone staring at her from her peripherals. She remembers the annoyance she felt when she turned her head to see _him, _staring directly_ at_ her like he was bloody born to do that.

"Yes." She tells him with a nod. "You were staring at me."

"Actually, I was staring at your lips."

Hermione calls forth the memory of him commenting on her lips, and she fails to hide her smile. "Yes. That's correct. But why?"

"Why?" Barty asks with a raised eyebrow. "Because your lips were practically begging to be kissed."

She blushes. "No they weren't." she snaps, hoping that her tone would cover her blush.

"Fine. They weren't, but I've never seen anything like them."

"You do realize that you have lips _too_, right?" she asks teasingly.

He rolls his eyes. "You know what I mean."

She chuckles lightly but quickly stops herself, clearing her throat loudly. "This doesn't answer my question."

"Right." Barty nods. "When I saw you there, I immediately saw everything I wanted. A beautiful, strong, independent woman who doesn't rely on her rich friends or family for help, has extremely gorgeous eyes, the lips of a goddess, and a brain that clearly rivals that of Albus Dumbledore himself…"

Hermione stares unblinkingly at him, not sure of what she's suddenly feeling. The feeling itself is extremely familiar, yet… stronger. More active. Her stomach lurchs, doing double and triple flips and missing the landing by a mile. She suddenly finds herself staring at his mouth, seeing his lips moving, but not hearing a word he was saying. _I see what Ginny and Parvati were talking about. _She muses. _He really does have nice teeth. And lips. A nice small nose, a strong jawline, high cheekbones, and lovely dimples that form every time he purses his lips. And those_—

"Are you even listening to a word I'm saying?" Barty asks incredulously.

Hermione blinks rapidly at him, annoyed by his rather rude way of dragging her out of such pleasant thoughts. Embarrassing to admit, but pleasant nonetheless. "Of course I'm listening." She lies through her teeth.

"Oh really?" Barty asks sarcastically. "Then what did I just say?"

"About what?" Hermione swallows hard.

"Exactly." Barty looks away, shaking his head.

She's silent, not wanting to admit anything just yet. She needs time to think and clear her mind.

"Any other questions?"

Hermione hums, leaning forward and pressing her chin to the palm of her hand. "_If_ I were to agree go out with you on a date, what would happen when it's over?"

"Well I imagine I'd apparates us back to your flat, where you'd invite me inside for the night."

His tone is mocking, so she knows not to take his answer seriously. She does, however, use this to her advantage. "More reason to why I refuse to date you. You only think of your selfish needs."

He chuckles. "Selfish? Hermione, I haven't thought of anything to do with myself since you hexed me at that muggle phone booth when we met again."

"Then answer my question honestly." She tells him.

"Fine." He leans forward, mimicking her actions and resting his chin on his fist. "After our first date, I'd imagine we'd be going on plenty of other dates. We'd spend time together, getting to know each other better. After seeing each other for a while, I imagine you'd finally warm up to me and let me meet your parents. If they like me, I'll do everything to be within their good graces. If they don't, then I'd win their affections alongside yours. I imagine us growing together as a couple. Being there for each other whenever we need to. Loving each other, and finally, I imagine I'd ask you to be mine forever. To marry me. We'd have little you's and me's running around our home, and we'd do anything and everything to stay together. We could grow old together… We could be a family." He blinks back the dreamy look in his eyes as he stares back into her wide ones.

She tries not to blink, but she eventually loses. Her eyes blink rapidly, looking everywhere but at him. She swallows hard, but the bubble forming in the back of her throat doesn't seem to be going anywhere. "That was…"

"Impressive, aye?" he asks teasingly.

She rolls her eyes at him. "I was going to say that it was deep, but you've just ruined the moment."

"Aha!" Barty exclaims, startling Hermione as he points an accusing finger. "You felt it too!"

She immediately denies it. "Pshhh, felt what? I just kind of dozed off."

"Keep telling yourself that when you're at home, thinking of me."

"You _wish_ I was thinking of you."

He grins as he leans forward and rests his hands on her desk. "I've answered your questions… Go out with me." His voice is soft, almost pleading.

She looks away. "I—I'll think about it."

He smiles genuinely at her. "That's all I'm asking."

She smiles back at him. "I might end up saying 'no' again tomorrow."

He grins as he turns to leave. "I know."

...

* * *

…

Two weeks, and he hasn't seen hide nor hair of her. Not that he's exactly gone to see her or anything. He was taking a short hiatus from the inevitable rejection she's been supplying. And now, he's back on the saddle, ready to open his emotions back up again.

He's grinning so hard, one would think he's just won the lottery.

She rolls her eyes at him when she opens the door to her flat. "How do you know where I live?"

"Saw it on the daily prophet."

Her eyes widen in horror. "You— No you didn't." she scoffs, realizing that he's lying.

He laughs. "You're right, I didn't… I just happened to be in the neighborhood, decided to knock on some strangers' door, and found _you_ instead."

She sighs heavily, leaning against the door frame and tapping her foot impatiently. "What do you want?" she asks when it seems that he won't be revealing how he knows where she lives.

"Same thing I've always wanted."

"You can't have it." She shakes her head.

He takes a step closer to her, towering over her. "Why not?"

"I _told_ you why."

He laughs again, shaking his head. "No you didn't."

"Yes I did."

"No, you didn't." he disagrees. "You never really gave me a straight answer as to why you won't have breakfast or lunch, or anything with me." She opens her mouth to protest, but he beats her to it. "The fact that I used to be a Death Eater is completely _invalid_ right now because I'm not a Death Eater anymore, so that's not an answer either."

She clenches her jaw tightly, pulling one hand up and running her fingers through her hair. "Did you ever think that maybe I'm just not into you?"

He blinks at her as though she'd just said the most insane thing he's ever heard in his life. "Not into— Hermione, thousands of Witches are into me!— And probably a few Wizards as well." He adds as an afterthought.

Hermione blinks at him, and shakes her head. "Well, maybe I'm not part of that thousand."

He narrows his eyes at her and grins widely, taking another step towards her so that he's standing right in front of her. "Or maybe you _are_, but you just won't admit it."

She steels herself, forcing her legs not to move, or her breath to hitch so as to not give away the fact that his closeness was affecting her. "You're unbelievable."

"So I've heard." Barty smiles, leaning down slowly towards her.

She feels her stomach fluttering like a swarm of bees have taken host in there, and her heart flips. "What are you doing?" her voice comes out in a breathy whisper. He's so close, she could smell the intoxicating scent of his aftershave and feel the warmth of his body temperature, sending a tingling sensation through her entire body. His hand comes up against the side of her face, not quite touching her yet, until it does. His touch is tentative, meant to test his boundaries. When she does nothing to stop him, he turns his hand over and gently runs a single finger down her cheek. He slowly tucks a stray strand of her hair behind her ear, and her eyes begin to slowly close against her will. She waits for him to do something.

"Go out with me." His voice is soft. Soothing, warm, and sweet.

She doesn't answer, only keeping her eyes closed.

"I should probably go." He whispers softly, his warm breath tickling her cheek.

She nods slowly but she stays exactly the way she is in the same place. "Yeah."

"I shouldn't be here."

She nods again, her brain fuzzy from the feeling of his thumb soothingly running circles on her cheek. "You shouldn't."

"But I don't want to go."

His voice sounds much closer now, and she could practically feel the presence of his face right in front of hers. She could feel the ghost of his lips softly brushing over hers. She could feel her lips tingling in anticipation. "Then don't go."

He's silent for a long moment as his heart races inside his chest. He wants to kiss her so badly, but he's afraid to break her from this trance. He's afraid that if he touches her, she'll pull away and hex him into the next year. "Say it."

She doesn't know what she's saying anymore, but for once, she's not repulsed by the thought of not knowing things. She actually wants to stay like this for as long as she can. "Say what?" she asks curiously, her eyes still closed as she pays close attention to the feeling of his warm fingers on the side of her face.

"You _know_ what." His eyes continue to roam her face, admiring her beauty. The sharp arch of her eyebrows, the cuteness of her small nose, the line of her jaw, the fullness of her pink, soft looking lips and how he could just lean forward and kiss her right now. But he forces himself to stop, to wait.

She knows. She knows what he means, and her eyelids flutter open to meet a striking pair of brown eyes, staring back into her own. Her breath is suddenly uneven, her heart is practically hammering against her chest, and her arms finally unfold to hang at her sides. She swallows down her pride, her stubbornness, and her thoughts, deciding to throw caution to the wind and just… feel. With that final thought, her lips finally open to utter out two words she never thought she would ever say to Barty Crouch Jr.

"Kiss me."

He does. And though he doesn't want to stop, air quickly becomes an issue, seeing as he had stopped breathing the moment she had told him not to go. He just didn't realize it then. When they come up for air, he's breathing hard and grinning like a maniac. "Go out with me."

She's staring wide-eyed at him with a slackened jaw and shaky fingers she had no idea had even moved until she finds them sliding out of his tousled hair. "I—," she stops, not really knowing what to say. "It's late." She manages to say shakily.

He takes a step back, immediately missing the proximity and he nods. He doesn't say anything as he turns around and starts walking down the front steps and onto the sidewalk.

Hermione swallows hard, not believing what she's about to do. "Barty."

He turns back, a smile forming rapidly on his face as he looks expectantly at her. "Yes?"

"I— Yes."

He blinks rapidly at her. "Pardon?"

She sighs impatiently and shakes her head. "Yes, I'll—gooutwithyou."

He turns fully, squinting at her. "I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." he returns, feigning innocence.

She glares at him and folds her arms across her chest. "I will go out with you." She says through gritted teeth.

"Because you pity me?"

"I don't do pity relationships."

"Then why are you saying yes?" he knows he's risking his chances with her, but he needs to hear her say it.

_Dear merlin! First he's all over me about going on a date with him, and now he wants a bloody reason?! The nerve of this idiotic, insufferable, ungrateful, stubborn, dimwitted, stupidly handsome wanker! _She rolls her eyes at him for the millionth time. "Because I really like you, okay? Are you happy now?!" she shrieks at him.

He finally lets himself breathe a little easier. "I am." He nods. "I _really_ am."

"Good." She snaps at him.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow night at eight?"

"I can't wait." She forces herself to mutter out sarcastically.

He chuckles delightedly as he begins to walk away backwards. "I know."

She spends the next ten minutes, muttering obscenities about him under her breath, even as her heart continues to beat rapidly inside her chest.

...

* * *

…

"I told you so." Luna smiles.

Barty chuckles softly with a shake of his head but doesn't deny it. "You did."

"So when's the next date?"

"Tomorrow night." He's grinning giddily, not able to sit still from the excitement.

"Oh! So soon?"

He shrugs, smirking at his only other friend. "She likes my hair."

Luna snorts, leaning forwards and ruffling his hair. "_Everyone_ likes your hair. It's kind of like Harry's."

He rolls his eyes at that. "My hair is nothing like Harry's. My hair is perfectly coiffed. Harry's hair is just… messy."

"Mhmm. Okay, I have work to complete. So shoo!" she playfully pushes him.

"Are you kicking me out?" Barty asks, feigning hurt.

"Yes. Now go. And say 'hello' to Hermione for me. Merlin knows how much she hates it when I send you to her with messages, but…" she shrugs with a smile. "She'll get over it."

He laughs as he gets up and heads for the door. "I'll miss you while I'm away." He calls jokingly.

"Yes, you will. But I'm betting you're missing Hermione right now, aren't you?"

He sighs heavily, shaking his head at her. "You're too smart, you know that?"

She smiles widely at him and waves him away. "I know."

* * *

…

* * *

...

Author's Note: YAY! Done with chapter two. One more chapter to go! Kind of an epilogue of sorts. Anyway, please leave a review or I won't post an epilogue. Yes, I am now holding you all at gunpoint! Review, or I'll shoot. HAHA! Just kidding. I'll update, but it would mean the world to me if you all leave a review, you know? Thanks for reading, and thanks to those who followed, favorited, or left a review for the previous chapter. I love you all!

-McDiggin'It


	3. Chapter 3

Title: I Know

Author's Note: So this is the conclusion of this fic. Hope you all liked it. Please leave a review!

-McDiggin'It

…

Chapter Three: Epilogue

…

_Two Years After:_

He feels a bit creepy, staring at her as she sleeps soundly beside him, but he can't bring himself to stop. Two years, and he still feels like a lovesick puppy, constantly trying to figure out how he can be so lucky. He always knew that she'd eventually be his, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. He had only spent a few months trying to win her affections before she finally gave into him, and he thanks his very few lucky stars for letting him have something as precious as her. He smiles widely, leaning down and gently pressing his lips to her cheek before quietly slipping out of bed to gather what he needs for today's big event.

-BH-BH-BH-

"Where are we going?"

He rolls his eyes at the recurring question and turns to her with a small smile. "I told you. It's a surprise."

"I don't like surprises."

He laughs at that. "Who lied to you?"

Slightly offended, she punches his shoulder lightly, causing him to chuckle.

"You'll like this one, love. I promise." He's actually not sure if she'll like this surprise. The last time he tried to surprise her, he ended up in St. Mungo's hospital and he had needed to drink three nasty flasks of skele-gro to grow back the bones in his right leg where Hermione's hex had accidentally hit him. He hopes that today's surprise would end differently.

"Can you at least tell me _where_ we're going?"

"That would completely defeat the purpose of this surprise."

"Can you give me a hint?"

Barty resists the urge to groan and turns to smile at her. "We're here."

Hermione blinks at him, not knowing what the bloody hell he's doing. "Barty, we're out in muggle London, next to a phone booth. You're telling me that you dragged me out of our warm bed to use the muggle telephone?" she asks incredulously.

Barty rolls his eyes, "And call who? Jesus?"

"How do you—,"

"Nevermind." He interrupts, waving a hand in front of her face before grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the phone booth. "Where _are_ we exactly?"

Hermione sighs heavily, shaking her head. "Now you _don't_ know where we are?"

Barty shakes his head dismissively. "I know_ exactly_ where we are." He turns her around and pulls her back so that her back is pressed up against his front. "This is where we _really_ met for the first time."

Hermione blinks, her eyes widening slowly as she looks around. Her eyes narrow at the phone booth before she looks up at him. "That's right."

Barty smiles. "You remember?"

She snorts. "Of course I do. You nearly gave me a heart attack when I saw you for the first time.

At this, Barty smirks at her. "You mean you saw me for the first time and your heart nearly stopped when you realized how amazingly attractive I was."

She playfully smacks him on the shoulder. "Not even close." She murmurs, pulling his face down to hers and pressing a long lingering kiss to his lips. When they pull away she gives him a questioning look. "What are we doing here?"

He holds up a finger, smiling widely at her in that way that she knows is completely unpredictable. Without a word, he takes her hand in his and apparates them.

Hermione lets out a huff of breath as she turns her head to stare incredulously at him. "Warn me next time you do that. You could seriously kill someone." she turns away slightly, a hand flying to her stomach.

"Never you, dear." Barty shakes his head and then turns to nod ahead of him, completely oblivious to what she's doing. "Do you remember _this _place?"

Hermione straightens back and glances at the 'place'. She smiles fondly as she stares at the 'Ole Irish Pub' sign hanging haphazardly in front of the small building. "Of course I do. This is where you first asked me to have breakfast or lunch with you."

He nods, smiling just as fondly as they continue to stare at the building. "Yes. You shot me down without batting a lash."

Hermione turns her head to look up at him, her smile turning sad as she gives his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry I was so cruel to you."

Barty shakes her head and smiles widely at her. "I deserved it."

"No you didn't. You were no longer a Death Eater and—,"

"Hermione, if I were in your place and had an Ex-Death Eater ask me to have breakfast or lunch with them, I'd have done the same if not worse…" he notices the uncertain look in her eyes, so he raises their interlaced hands, pressing his lips gently against the back of her hand. "Besides," he begins teasingly. "You eventually realized that I was too sexy to be rejected and finally said 'yes' to me."

She laughs at that, leaning her head against his shoulder. "Well—,"

"I'm going to apparates us again."

She pulls away to look up at him in confusion. "What—?"

'_POP!'_

Her hand smacks against his chest, causing him to double over and rub his chest in mock-pain.

"Why in the world did you do that?" she asks incredulously.

He shrugs, "I have to keep the surprise going."

She rolls her eyes. "At least let me prepare for the apparition."

"You said to warn you and I did." Barty counters.

Hermione sighs heavily yet again and turns to look at their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"You don't recognize this place?"

She takes a moment, trying to figure out where exactly she is, and then she's laughing. "We're in front of my old flat building!"

"This was where you finally said 'yes' to me."

"That's right!" she continues laughing, turning her eyes towards the same door where she had been standing when she finally said 'yes' to Barty. "This was where you first kissed me." She whispers warmly.

"Only because you told me to."

She rolls her eyes at him and turns to give him a strange look. "Why are you taking me to all of these places?"

Barty smiles nervously at her and pulls her hand slowly. "It's a surprise, remember?"

"When are you going to surprise me?"

He chuckles lightly at the hint of impatience in her tone. "Soon." He leans down, kissing her forehead. "I'm going to apparates us again."

She takes a deep breath and nods. "Okay."

With a nod, he tightens his hand on hers and calls to mind the image of his final destination for the surprise. Soon enough, he feels the atmosphere shift and change, and then he's smiling as he opens his eyes.

Hermione's eyebrows furrow in absolute confusion. "Okay, I'm pretty sure I've never seen this place before. Did I drink something strong and pass out here or something?" she asks with a tiny blush as she stares up at the large building before them.

Barty laughs softly at that and begins to pull her along, towards the door of the building. He taps his wand on the doorknob, earning him an audible click from the knob. "Shall we?"

Hermione gives him a skeptical look. "Barty, this place looks fully furnished. We're not breaking and entering, are we?" she asks fearfully.

He chuckles, shaking his head at her with a roll of his eyes. "Will you relax and just trust me?"

She's still a bit skeptical, but she keeps quiet and follows him inside. The place was huge. Fully furnished just as she thought, tidy, organized, and absolutely beautiful.

"There are four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a hot tub, a living room, a kitchen, a fireplace, and…" he trails off, holding up his forefinger as a gesture of halt for effect. "…a library… everything one could want in a home."

Hermione nods wordlessly as she admires the place. "It's marvelous."

"It is, yes." Barty nods, staring directly at her.

Hermione forces herself away from her current task and gives him a confused look. "I don't get it. Why did you bring me here?"

Barty turns fully so that his whole body is facing hers. "Hermione, have you noticed how I took you to three different places and asked you if you remembered them?"

She nods.

"I wanted to show you where my favorite memories took place. The first was where I met you. The second was where I first asked you to go on a date with me. The third was where you finally agreed to date me."

Hermione nods slowly. "They're also my favorite memories as well." She tells him honestly.

He smiles, showing off his dimples. "Of course they are."

She looks around the place they're in then, and gives him a confused look. "And here? I don't think I've ever been here, Barty."

"I know." He nods as he gently pulls his hand from hers and reaches inside the pocket of his jeans. "Because this is where I hope to build more memories with you."

"I…" she trails off, her breath hitching in her throat, her heart hammering in her chest, and her eyes widening in shock as she watches as if in slow motion as Barty pulls out a small silver box from his pocket and gets down on one knee.

"I know this is sudden." He begins, ignoring the way his stomach lurches when Hermione's eyes begin to rapidly emit tears. "I know that I'm not the most amazing person in this world. I know that I can be a big pain in the arse. And I know that I can never be good enough for you… but, I also know that I'm a better person when I'm with you. I know that when I look at you, the whole world fades away until it's just us. And I know that I love you with everything left in me. I can't promise you power, or riches, or fame like plenty of other Wizards could, but I can promise you my whole heart and soul. I can promise that I will never hurt you. I can promise that for as long as we live, I will protect you with my life. And I can promise to give you a happy life… So," he pauses, looking down at the silver box in his hands before he opens it.

Tears flow down her cheeks as she stares down at the white gold diamond ring sitting in the middle of the box. She's seen so many rings than she cares to admit, but this one, sitting in Barty's hand definitely tops them all.

Barty gives her a nervous look and continues, "Hermione Jean Granger, will you make me the happiest man alive, and agree to be my wife?—Will you marry me?"

Honestly, she's not sure why he even has to ask. But since his little speech was so beautiful, she lets him have it. She nods her head fiercely, jumping forward and slamming herself against him so that they're both toppling to the floor with her on top of him. "Of course I will." She laughs, playfully flicking his forehead.

He lets out a relieved sigh as he grins giddily, sitting them up so she's in his lap. He takes her left hand, slipping the ring onto her finger and kissing it. She beams at her new engagement ring, her face the picture of elation and relief. "It fits perfectly." She whispers.

He nods, "I had some help with the sizing."

She looks around them, taking in their surroundings. "What about our old apartment?" she asks curiously.

"Well, as much as I loved that place, I figured that if you say yes and agree to marry me, we're going to need a bigger place to raise a family."

She has tears in her eyes again, leaning forward and kissing him softly. "So you went looking for this place for us? What about the Crouch Manor?"

He shrugs, "What about it? I never really liked the place anyway. And half the memories I have of the place are terrible ones."

She smiles, resting her forehead against his. "Then we'll make new ones _here_."

"You and me."

She nods, pulling away. "And the little one."

He gives her a confused look. "The little one?" he looks around them and then back at her. "Did you hire a house elf?"

Her face scrunches up in confusion, "Wha—God's no! I—," she cuts herself off, taking a deep breath. She climbs off his lap and gets up as he follows her into a standing position. "I have to tell you something."

He gives her a nervous look, "You're not about to break the engagement off already, are you?"

"What—I—where the bloody hell did you get _that_?" she asks incredulously, and he shrugs.

"I don't know. You look like you're unsure of what you're saying."

She takes another deep breath, finally stepping forward and taking his hand, bringing it up from his side to press against her stomach. "Barty, I—I'm pregnant." She stills herself, awaiting his reaction with bated breath.

Honestly, he doesn't know what came over him in that moment. Someday in the future, she'll bring it back up again and he'll deny having tears in his eyes. But right now, he doesn't give a damn about his manliness as he surges forward and scoops his fiancée into his arms as a jovial laugh leaves his lips while he ignores the unfamiliar warm wetness flowing down his cheeks. "I love you so much." he whispers as she wraps her arms and legs around him and buries her face into his neck.

"And I love _you_." she whispers softly back in reply.

He smiles, his heart practically floating in midair right then. "Always?"

She laughs, pulling away, leaning down and kissing him with all the love she feels for him. When she pulls away, she looks into his lust and love filled eyes. "Forever."

He smiles at that. "We're gonna be a family." he whispers excitedly as if shouting it would shatter the moment.

She smiles, nodding as tears begin to collect in her eyes. "Finally."

...

As they settle into their new bed that night, Hermione can't help but turn to stare into the eyes she's grown to love with all of her heart. Somehow, she knows she never _grew_ to love_ him_. She _knows_ she loved him the moment she said yes to him two years ago. She closes her eyes, smiling euphorically when Barty's hand comes to rest on her belly where they both know their baby is growing inside her. "Today is the happiest day of my life."

He grins, "I'll top it tomorrow."

"How?" she asks curiously.

"It's a surprise."

She groans at that, and Barty takes the moment to lean forward and press a kiss to her lips. "You'll like it. I promise." His eyes twinkle mischievously and she can't help but believe him wholeheartedly.

She can't help the words that come out of her mouth. "I think I've always loved you."

"I think I've always loved you too." he counters.

She raises a hand to his face, tracing his handsome features with her fingers. "I'm serious."

"So am I."

She smiles at him and closes her eyes. "I think you're lying."

"I'm not."

Her smile widens, "Prove it."

He kisses her again. A deep, passionate kiss that will linger on her lips until the next time his lips touches hers again. "I have forever to do that."

"Forever." she whispers the word, keeping her eyes closed as her fingers move higher up his face to run through his hair, "You're mine forever." its a statement.

He leans forward then, pressing a soft kiss to her lips again. She opens her eyes to see him smiling at her with love and joy and so much more. He nods,

"I know."

...

-END

…

A/N: So this concludes this fic. Thanks for reading, and please leave a review!

-McDiggin'It

...


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